ENTERTAINING STUDENTS 



381 



its limits, he exclaimed, " Madam, will you permit me to arrange 

 that, picture? It is upside down and wrong side out." It is 

 needless to say, those were the days before Mr. Denman Ross 

 had taught his fellow citizens the meaning of Japanese art ; to 

 the average Western mind it was a plexus of incomprehensible 

 design, the lettering even giving no token ; therefore the more 

 outre" the disposition of a decorative piece, the more in keeping 

 it seemed with the Oriental plan if plan there were in so 

 great confusion. 



The picture made right in his eyes, our young friend resumed 

 his seat and like a Christian proceeded to eat the food massed 

 on his plate. Still there was a sense that something yet was 

 wrong. At this juncture the youth whose name had been dis- 

 creetly slurred suddenly asked, "Shall I see Mr. P - to- 

 night?" Assured that it was possible but not probable, he re- 

 lapsed into silence, only violating it a little later to inquire if 



Miss was likely to appear. Informed that it was not likely, 



"Well, then," he exclaimed, "where in the world am I?" En- 

 lightened as to his whereabouts, he begged to be excused, add- 

 ing that he had been invited to take supper at Mr. P 's. 



After his withdrawal we once more subsided, hoping to finish the 

 meal without further upheaval; but it was not to be. A few 

 moments only had passed when the furious ringing of the door- 

 bell sent Mr. Shaler in alarm to see what was the matter. He 

 found the same youth back again. "I'm sorry to trouble you," 



he said, "but Mr. P 's family have gone to church; so I 



thought I would return and finish the evening where I had 

 begun it." 



It must be confessed that at times the student who called 

 in the evening was a trial. To quit his books and comfortable 

 seat by the fire and talk to a lad of no particular parts, seemed 

 to Mr. Shaler's family a great waste of his precious time ; but 

 he seldom was willing to refuse the visitor ; nor was he willing 

 to have his wife do so either. One evening when an unusually 

 dull youth was announced, her perverted heart inclined her to 



